The Medium

The Medium with an Intel Core i3-12100F and AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT presents a fascinating study in system balance. The measured data reveals a configuration where the GPU is the clear performance driver, while the CPU provides sufficient foundation for the horror title’s demands. This analysis breaks down the benchmark results, exploring how each component contributes to the final frame rates across resolutions and settings.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Core i3-12100F is a 4-core, 8-thread processor from the Alder Lake-S family, running on the Intel Socket 1700 platform. Its base clock is 3.30 GHz, which can boost up to 4.30 GHz. This is a modestly configured chip, yet its benchmark scores indicate it is far from a bottleneck in this specific game. The processor’s 3DMark single-thread score of 893 and 2-thread score of 1659 suggest strong per-core performance, which is often more critical for gaming than raw multi-threaded throughput.

Looking at the data, the CPU’s multi-threaded capabilities, while not class-leading, are adequate. The Cinebench R23 multicore score of 11912 and Geekbench multicore score of 7413 place it in a competent tier. Its percentileVsAllCpus rating of 72 indicates that it outperforms a majority of all CPUs in the database. The nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3975WX, has an average score of 13534, which is only 0.1% higher than the i3-12100F’s 13516 average. This is a remarkable parity, suggesting that for workloads like this game, the higher core count of the Threadripper offers no tangible advantage.

The 12 MB of shared L3 cache and support for both DDR4 and DDR5 memory indicates a flexible design. The TDP of 58 W is low, but the benchmark results show that this does not hinder performance in The Medium. The game appears to be sensitive to single-core strength, where the i3-12100F excels relative to its price point. The data implies that the CPU is not the limiting factor in this combo; instead, it provides a stable platform that allows the GPU to express its full potential. The processor’s performance in the `passmark_single_thread` test, scoring 3444, further underscores its capability to handle the game's logic and physics without dragging down the overall frame rate.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT is the undisputed powerhouse of this pairing. Built on the RDNA 2.0 architecture with a 7 nm process, it features 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, delivering a bandwidth of 384.0 GB/s. The GPU’s base clock is 2321 MHz, with a game clock of 2424 MHz and a boost clock of 2581 MHz. These specifications translate into a substantial compute capability, with a FP32 performance of 13.21 TFLOPS. This raw power is what drives the high frame rates observed at lower settings.

The GPU’s benchmark scores reinforce its position. It holds a percentileVsAllGpus of 77, placing it well above the median. Its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 6800, has an average score of 33493, which is only 0.7% lower than the RX 6700 XT’s 33721. This proximity in score is interesting, suggesting that the 6700 XT punches above its weight in synthetic tests. The 12 GB of VRAM is a critical asset for The Medium, which is known for its dual-world rendering that can consume significant memory. The data shows that this capacity is sufficient, as even at 4K High settings, the game runs, albeit at a lower frame rate.

The GPU’s performance is the primary variable in the measured FPS. As settings increase from Low to Ultra, the frame rate drops consistently, which is the expected behavior for a GPU-bound scenario. The 70.8 FPS average at 1080p Medium, compared to 41.8 FPS at 1080p Ultra, shows a clear performance scaling that is tied directly to the GPU’s workload. The card’s 40 RT cores and support for DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) indicate it is ready for advanced rendering features, though the measured data does not isolate ray tracing's impact.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

The benchmark results provide a clear picture of how the settings presets affect performance. At 1920x1080, the Low preset yields an average of 109.5 FPS, which is exceptionally smooth. Medium drops to 70.8 FPS, High to 51.6 FPS, and Ultra to 41.8 FPS. The jump from Low to Medium is a 38.7 FPS decrease, while the jump from High to Ultra is just 9.8 FPS, indicating diminishing returns at the higher end.

For a balanced experience at 1080p, the Medium preset appears to be the sweet spot. It offers a substantial visual upgrade over Low while maintaining an average of 70.8 FPS, which is well above the threshold for smooth gameplay on most displays. The High preset at 51.6 FPS is still playable, but the drop below 60 FPS might be noticeable to some users. Ultra at 41.8 FPS is demanding and only recommended for those who prioritize visual fidelity over frame rate.

At 2560x1440, the situation is similar. Low yields 92.9 FPS, which is excellent. Medium provides 60.4 FPS, which is right at the 60 FPS target. High drops to 44.1 FPS, and Ultra falls to 35.9 FPS. The Medium preset is the recommended choice here, as it delivers a smooth experience that balances quality and performance. For 4K, the Low preset is the only viable option for a playable experience, with an average of 72.5 FPS. Medium at 44.8 FPS is borderline, and High at 32.9 FPS and Ultra at 24.1 FPS are too demanding for consistent gameplay. The data suggests that for this combo, the best experience is achieved by prioritizing the Medium preset at 1080p or 1440p, or Low at 4K.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

Within the database of tested system combinations for The Medium, this pairing of the Core i3-12100F and Radeon RX 6700 XT holds a rank of 895 out of 1689 combos. This places it in the 53rd percentile, meaning it performs better than just over half of all tested systems. This is a solid mid-pack result, which is consistent with the hardware’s specifications. The fact that it is not ranked higher suggests that other, more powerful CPUs and GPUs can achieve significantly higher frame rates in this game.

The rank indicates that while this combo is capable, it is not at the top of the performance hierarchy. The data shows that the GPU is the primary driver of performance, so combos with more powerful GPUs (like the RX 6800, which is only 0.7% ahead in synthetic benchmarks) will likely rank higher. The CPU’s 4-core/8-thread configuration might also hold back the system in certain CPU-intensive moments, but the measured FPS suggests this is not a major issue. The rank of 895 out of 1689 is a data point that contextualizes the system’s overall standing, showing that it is a competent but not elite performer for this specific title.

FAQ — 4-6 Q&A pairs answerable from FACT PACK data

Q: What is the average frame rate at 1080p with Medium settings?

A: The measured data shows an average of 70.8 FPS at 1920x1080 with the Medium preset.

Q: How does the RX 6700 XT compare to its nearest rival in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT has an average benchmark score of 33721, which is 0.7% higher than the AMD Radeon RX 6800's score of 33493.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more likely to be the bottleneck in this system?

A: The benchmark results indicate the GPU is the primary performance driver. The FPS scales directly with graphics settings, while the CPU appears to provide adequate support, evidenced by its high single-thread performance and ranking close to much more expensive processors.

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo to achieve a 60 FPS average?

A: At 2560x1440 with Medium settings, the system achieves an average of 60.4 FPS. At 1080p, the Medium preset delivers a higher average of 70.8 FPS.

Q: What is the launch MSRP for the CPU?

A: The Intel Core i3-12100F has a launch MSRP of $97.

*Q: What is the total system rank for this combo in The Medium?*

A: This combo ranks 895 out of 1689 tested combinations in the game.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

The measured FPS data provides a complete matrix of performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the system delivers an average of 109.5 FPS on Low, 70.8 FPS on Medium, 51.6 FPS on High, and 41.8 FPS on Ultra. This shows a clear linear progression of performance cost as settings increase.

Moving to 2560x1440, the averages are 92.9 FPS on Low, 60.4 FPS on Medium, 44.1 FPS on High, and 35.9 FPS on Ultra. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is noticeable but not dramatic, with the Low preset losing 16.6 FPS. At 3840x2160, the performance takes a significant hit. The Low preset averages 72.5 FPS, which is still smooth, but Medium drops to 44.8 FPS, High to 32.9 FPS, and Ultra to a barely playable 24.1 FPS. These numbers clearly show that 4K is only feasible with the Low preset, and even then, it is a demanding workload for the GPU.

The data reveals that the gap between Low and Medium is the largest performance jump at each resolution. At 1080p, this gap is 38.7 FPS, at 1440p it is 32.5 FPS, and at 4K it is 27.7 FPS. Conversely, the gap between High and Ultra is the smallest, at 9.8 FPS, 8.2 FPS, and 8.8 FPS respectively. This suggests that the visual quality difference between High and Ultra may not be worth the performance cost, while the jump from Low to Medium is a more significant upgrade in both visuals and frame rate.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K is a textbook example of a GPU-bound system. At 1080p Low, the system averages 109.5 FPS. At 1440p Low, this drops to 92.9 FPS, a 15.2% decrease. At 4K Low, the average falls to 72.5 FPS, which is a 33.8% decrease from 1080p. This scaling pattern indicates that the GPU is being pushed harder as the pixel count increases, and its performance is the primary constraint.

For the Medium preset, the scaling is even more pronounced. The 1080p average of 70.8 FPS drops to 60.4 FPS at 1440p (a 14.7% decrease) and then to 44.8 FPS at 4K (a 36.7% decrease from 1080p). The High preset shows a similar trend, with 51.6 FPS at 1080p, 44.1 FPS at 1440p, and 32.9 FPS at 4K. The consistency of these percentage drops across all settings strongly suggests that the CPU is not a limiting factor at any resolution. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see a smaller performance delta between 1080p and 4K, as the CPU workload would remain relatively constant while the GPU work increased.

The data implies that the Radeon RX 6700 XT is the component that determines the system's ceiling in The Medium. The 12 GB of VRAM is sufficient at all tested settings, as the game runs without any obvious memory-related stutters, but the GPU's compute power is what ultimately caps the frame rates. The CPU, with its strong single-thread performance, is simply along for the ride, providing enough headroom to ensure that the GPU is always the primary bottleneck. This is a healthy system balance for gaming, where the GPU is typically the most important component for visual fidelity and frame rate.